Essex Group Visit to Upminster Tithe Barn 5th Dec 10am

Event details

Thursday 5 December 2024, 10am

We have an opportunity to visit the Tithe (Grange) Barn at Upminster while it is undergoing conservation work to make structural timber repairs and fully re-thatch the roof. 

The barn dates from the 15th century and is a Scheduled Monument.  It was added to the Heritage At Risk register in Autumn 2023.  The listing entry can be found here: Grange Barn Listing.  Details of its construction can be found here: Upminster Tithe Barn.

The work being undertaken should go a long way towards removing the building from the register.  It also is the beginning of hopefully future phases to make the barn a more accessible facility within the London Borough of Havering.

Upminster was a part of Essex until 1965, but it now forms part of the London Borough of Havering.  The visits are thus being organised by the Essex and London groups of the SPAB.

We plan to visit at two critical stages in the project.  Both visits will involve climbing scaffolding; high-visibility jackets, sturdy boots and hard hats must be worn. The first visit will be when the thatch is fully removed so that we can see the timber frame close up and the second will be during the re-thatching process.  Despite the size of the barn, only six visitors can be accommodated at one time.  Therefore we are scheduling multiple visits for each phase.

Work has already started and so the fist visits are scheduled for Thursday 5th and Saturday 7th of December. There will be two visits on each of those days at 10am and 11am, each for up to 6 people.  These are being fronted by the Essex Regional Group.

The second group of visits, which will be fronted by the London Group, will take place in the New Year at a date to be determined depending on the progress of the work.

We have a number of hard hats and high-visibility jackets which you may borrow for the visit, but please bring your own if you have them.

There is no parking on site.  Nearby parking will be available for the Thursday visits, but is likely to be very difficult on Saturdays as the site adjoins sports fields which attract large crowds.

Please note that there is a separate web listing for each of the four December visits.  Please make sure that you are booking for the date and time of your choice.

The visits are open to all SPAB members regardless of location.  Each member may bring a maximum of one guest. 

You will need 

Please wear sturdy footwear and clothing you don’t mind getting dirty. High-visibility jackets and hard hats must be worn but we will have some available on site if you do not have your own.

How to get there

The barn is located in Hall Lane, Upminster, RM14 1AU 

The nearest train station is Upminster, just under a mile away.   The use of public transport is encouraged, especially on the Saturday when parking nearby is likely to be unavailable.

Detailed directions and joining instructions will be sent to registered attendees nearer to the time. 

Accessibility

The visit will involve uneven surfaces and climbing scaffolding, requiring a good level of fitness.

Anything we can do to make this event more accessible for you? Please email membership@spab.org.uk.

We may take photos or videos at this event to be used in future promotion, including in print and online.

All bookings are subject to our Terms and Conditions. 

Photo credit: Upminster Barn © Steve Huggins